Patents by Inventor Douglas Craig Swinyard

Douglas Craig Swinyard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220400629
    Abstract: A timber-working device has a frame, and a saw apparatus mounted to the frame. At least one pair of arms are pivotally attached to the frame and configured to be controlled to grasp at least one tree stem. A feed mechanism is configured to feed the at least one stem relative to the frame. The feed mechanism has opposing feed arms, each feed arm pivotally connected to the frame. Each feed arm has a pivot pin arrangement with a first pivot pin and a second pivot pin, where the first pivot pin and the second pivot pin are aligned along a common longitudinal axis. An air gap is provided between the between the first pivot pin and the second pivot pin along the common longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventor: Douglas Craig SWINYARD
  • Patent number: 10980194
    Abstract: A saw apparatus includes a guide bar, a chain driver, and an endless cutting chain trained about the guide bar and the chain driver. The guide bar includes a first chain retention feature along at least a portion of its periphery, and the cutting chain includes a second chain retention feature configured to interact with the first chain retention feature such that movement of the second chain retention feature away from the guide bar is restricted. A timber-working device includes a frame, at least one pair of arms pivotally attached to the frame and configured to be controlled to grasp at least one tree, and the saw apparatus mounted to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Blevens, Douglas Craig Swinyard, Philip Waterhouse
  • Publication number: 20200205356
    Abstract: A sensor mount for use with a timber-working device includes a monolithic structure having a base portion configured to be secured to a frame of a timber-working device, and a sensor mounting portion including a cavity configured to receive a contactless sensor. The cavity has a sensor mounting surface for securing the contactless sensor thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Jemma Lee NEEDHAM, Eden Zamir RAFEALOV, Douglas Craig SWINYARD
  • Publication number: 20190223393
    Abstract: A saw apparatus includes a guide bar, a chain driver, and an endless cutting chain trained about the guide bar and the chain driver. The guide bar includes a first chain retention feature along at least a portion of its periphery, and the cutting chain includes a second chain retention feature configured to interact with the first chain retention feature such that movement of the second chain retention feature away from the guide bar is restricted. A timber-working device includes a frame, at least one pair of arms pivotally attached to the frame and configured to be controlled to grasp at least one tree, and the saw apparatus mounted to the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Robert BLEVENS, Douglas Craig SWINYARD, Philip WATERHOUSE
  • Patent number: 9554524
    Abstract: A timber-working head is configured to hold a felled tree and to feed the felled tree. The timber-working head comprises a frame and a delimb knife module mounted to the frame and configured to delimb the felled tree when the felled tree is fed past the delimb knife module. The delimb knife module has a central blade, a pivotable first side blade, and a pivotable second side blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: WARATAH NZ LIMITED
    Inventor: Douglas Craig Swinyard
  • Publication number: 20130327441
    Abstract: A timber-working head is configured to hold a felled tree and to feed the felled tree. The timber-working head comprises a frame and a delimb knife module mounted to the frame and configured to delimb the felled tree when the felled tree is fed past the delimb knife module. The delimb knife module has a central blade, a pivotable first side blade, and a pivotable second side blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Douglas Craig Swinyard
  • Patent number: 7677279
    Abstract: A tree harvester head comprises a drive wheel, a delimb knife, a pin, a wheel-mounting inner sleeve to which the drive wheel is mounted, and a knife-mounting outer sleeve to which the delimb knife is mounted. The wheel-mounting inner sleeve surrounds the pin for rotation of the wheel-mounting inner sleeve and the drive wheel mounted thereto about the pin. The knife-mounting outer sleeve surrounds the wheel-mounting inner sleeve for relative rotation therebetween for rotation of the delimb knife about the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Douglas Craig Swinyard, Justyn Peter Smythe
  • Publication number: 20080178963
    Abstract: A tree harvester head comprises a drive wheel, a delimb knife, a pin, a wheel-mounting inner sleeve to which the drive wheel is mounted, and a knife-mounting outer sleeve to which the delimb knife is mounted. The wheel-mounting inner sleeve surrounds the pin for rotation of the wheel-mounting inner sleeve and the drive wheel mounted thereto about the pin. The knife-mounting outer sleeve surrounds the wheel-mounting inner sleeve for relative rotation therebetween for rotation of the delimb knife about the pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Douglas Craig Swinyard, Justyn Peter Smythe